College and Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo

The College was founded by D. Frei Baltasar Limpo, Bishop of Porto, who in 1540 ordered the construction of a college on Rua da Sofia for clergymen who were going to study at the University of Coimbra.
The church, which dates from 1597, has a single nave with a coffered vaulted ceiling and six side chapels: on the Epistle side, dedicated to Our Lady of Carmel, St. Benedict, and Our Lady of Mercy; and on the Gospel side, dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and St. Mary Magdalene. The chancel features a Mannerist gilded altarpiece, which combines statuary and painting, as well as tiles dating from the 16th century.
In the sacristy, you can see a Deposition of Christ in the Tomb attributed to João de Ruão. In the 19th century, the college space was ceded to the Third Order of St. Francis, which still remains there today. The cloister follows the 16th-century Coimbra Renaissance model of 1600 and fits into the typology of cloisters developed by Diogo de Castilho, having possibly been designed by this architect.
In 1547, it was donated to the Order of the Calced Carmelites, which was abolished by the law of 1834, passing to the Venerable Third Order of Saint Francis, where it remains today. Despite undergoing several changes, the old college complex still has its original tile panels and some paintings.
It is part of the University, Alta, and Sofia complex, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2013.